In a statement issued today Kevin welcomed the moves by Aberdeenshire Council to encourage the Caravan Club to take over the running of the Queen Elizabeth Caravan Park on the seafront at Stonehaven.
"Coincidentally this come at a time equally welcome has come in Forfar for the excellent caravan park there Here the Caravan Club have just announced its success in gaining a 20 year extension to its current 30 year lease on its beautifully placed Lochside Caravan Park and an investment of £1.25 Million to improve the facilities on the site. This will encourage more visitors to not only visit once but to visit again this popular site that is seen by many as the Gateway to the Angus Glens. It will also if combined with a takeover of the caravan park in Stonehaven help lead to more tourism opportunities for both of these towns. Having been told the benefits and success of the Forfar caravan park during the General Election campaign in Angus in 2010 I am well aware of the success of the Caravan Club in boosting tourism and feel much could be gained by a link being made to this excellent organisation in Stonehaven".
"Scottish Labour will seek to work with organisations such as the Caravan Club in promoting tourism throughout Scotland. At its recent launch of its Manifesto for business it resolved to give a stronger voice by making Visit Scotland the lead organisation to develop tourism. It also resolved task both Visit Scotland and Event Scotland to deliver a "See more of Scotland" campaign for visitors to big events such as the Commonwealth Games due to be held at Glasgow in 2014. Such a strategy should also be applied to events such as the Edinburgh Fringe and the New Year celebrations in Stonehaven".
New Ambassador role
"In the case of Angus North and the Mearns many people may ask what the various parts of the constituency have in common. It is in common with many rural constituencies across Scotland vast and expansive in scope. It has great beauty and a rich history that surely deserves to be promoted. For example it has Celtic tradition, it has many Roman marching camps reaching throughout the area, it has the wildness of the Angus Glens and in more recent times it has the saving of Scotlands honours to its name. If elected as MSP I would see it as an important part of my role to use my position to give the fullest possible promotion to all of the constituency. From the tradition of the Forfar Bridie to its success in being the birthplace of key inventors such as Robert Watson Watt the inventor of Radar it has so much to offer".
"In terms of natural history it has both the Montrose Basin and Fowlsheugh of which it can be very proud ,and in the areas of creative writing it can boast being the birthplace of William Burness, the father of Robert Burns and also being where Lewis Grassic Gibbon the author of 'Sunset Song' spent his early years. If elected as MSP I would see it as being an important part of my role to be effectively an ambassador for the constituency, but also very importantly to hold Visit Scotland to account in promoting the area to the fullest ,and to work with local business and enterprise to encourage transport providers to develop new links on the tourist trail".
"Through pursuing sustainable tourism among both the home and overseas market there will be benefits for all of the economy of the beautiful constituency of Angus North and the Mearns".
